Tank-filler and contents-indicator



A. STANLEY.

TANK FILLER AND CONTENIS |NDICATOR. APPLICATION man act. 25. 1919.

1,379,226. Patented May 24, 1921.

9 INVENTOR;

A TTORNE Y.

UNITED sures PATENT oar-ice.

ALBERT OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

TANK-FILLER AND cou'rmns-nvmcnron.

Application fled October 25, 1919.

Toallwlwmitmayomwem:

Be it known that I, Annmrr STANLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented a new and useful Tank-Filler and Contents-Indicator, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to a tank or reservoir having a side fillingconduit extendin outward so as to be readily accessible, an to beavailable when the tank is inclosed or located. where it may not beconveniently reached to directly refill it; the invention havingreference also to means arranged at the outer end of the conduit forconveniently indicating the volume of the contents of the tank orreservoir, especially when the tank is a part of the equipment of amotor vehicle and inclosed under a vehicle seat.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved tank filler andcontents indicator which shall be so constructed as to be adapted to beconveniently connected with a tank or reservoir, and so constructed asto enable an attendant to readily refill the tank and ascertain theapproximate quantity of liquid in the tank while it is being filled andlater while the contents are being used.

Another object is to provide an automobile fuel tank adapted to bearranged under a seat and which shall be provided with a filler andcontents indicator so constructed and arranged as to be readilyaccessible and visible at all times, without disturbing the occupants ofthe seat and removing the seat cushions; which filling and indicatingappliances shall be of simple and reliable construction and durable andeconomical in use.

With the above-mentioned and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in a fill in conduit of novel construction and provlged with anew and improved inlet portion having contents-indicating appliancesarran ed so as to be observable at all times; and the invention consistsalso further in the novel and useful construction, and parts andcombinations and arrangements'thereof, as hereinafter particularlydescribed and further defined in the accompan ing claims.

Referring to the drawings,- igure 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevationof a tank Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24, 1921.

Serial m. 338,354.

or reservoir provided with the new filler and contents indicator; Fig. 2is an end view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of theinlet portion of the filling eondult; F 1g. 4 1s a top plan of the inletportion and the contents lndicator; and, F1 5 1s a top v1ew of the inletportion of the fi ler and indicator extending out beyond the body andseat cushions of an automobile shown by broken lines.

Similar reference characters in the diflerent figures of the drawingsindicate corresponding elements or features of construction hereinreferred to in detail.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates the shell of a tank or reservoirfor gasolene or other liquid fuel to supply an explosion engine and forthe purposes of the present invention one vertical end 2 has a verticalslot 3 therein, the tank being in many cases arran ed under theoperators seat, so that in suc after removing the seat cushions and insome cases disturbing passengers.

The mproved, filling conduit has a top 4, an inclined bottom 5 andupright sides 6 and 7 that are approximately triangular so as to providea flaring outlet end which is secured to thetank end 2 so that theconduit shall deliver through the slot 3, the arrangement being suchthat the to 4 is approximately horizontal. The bottom and sides haveportions that extend upwardly and outwardly beyond the plane of the top4, and the top has an inclined extension 8 connected with the sides soas to constitute a relatively small inclined inlet neck 9 having itsorifice hi her than the top of the tank to permit t e tank to becompletely filled before the contents overflows from the inlet neck.Preferably the flared outlet end of the conduit has a flange 10 thereonwhereby to firmly secure the conduit to the tank end 2. The arrangementof the tank is such that the filling conduit extends through the sidewall 11, shown by broken lines, of the motor vehicle body to aiford freeaccess to the inlet neck of the conduit, and permitting an operatorlocated on the seat cushion 12 back of the steering wheel 13 to at anytime observe the indicator to ascertain when his supply of fuel isrunning low.

As preferably constructed the inlet neck 9 has a castin secured thereincomprising a mouth mem r 14 havi a suitable filhn orifice therein andprovi ed on one side 0% cases the tank can be refilled only the memberwith an indicator base 15 hav: ing a slot 16 therein, the indicator basehaving a hanger 17 on its inner portion which preferably is shaped as aflat tube and is provided to itslower end with a pivot 18. e fillingorifice has screw threads 19 thereiil and isggrclilvided with a fill' i'or osure aving screw thr e fls i g to the screw threads 19. An indicatordevice is compomd of a controlling rod 21 which is arranged in theconduit and provided with a pivot ear 22 that is connected with thepivot IS, the rod extending through the slot 3 into the tank and havinga float or buoyant device 23 thereon, a inter 24 extendfrom the rod upway into the slot 16 a ifi adjacent to an indicator late 25 which issecured to the upper face 0 the indicator base 15 so as to cover theslot, the plate of suitable transparent maing graduated on its outerface and provided with indicating numerals, as 1, 2, 3,4, 5, as at26,27, 28, 29 and 30, respectively, so that when the tank is beingfilled it can be readily ascertained when the des'red quantity isdelivered into the tank.

In ractical use the. float 23 riseswith the until the tank is full, whenthe pointer 24 points to the numeral which indicates the maximumquantity the tank will contain. As the fuel is used the float descends,the controlling rod 21 being permitted to freely move in the slot 3 andin the flared portion of the conduit, so that the pointer 24 is carriedsuccessively to the graduating marks on the indicator, until when thepointer arrives at the numeral 2, or at the numeral 1, the operatorreadily ascertains by observation that only a small quantity remains inthe tank and can take the necessary steps to replenish his supply offuel. e

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. Atank filler and contents indicator in-' cluding a conduit having aninlet neck, the wall 0 the neck having a relativel thick portionprovided with a vertical slot and also a hanger within the neck at oneside thereof, a closure for the neck, an indicator plate secured uponthe thick wall portion and covering the slot therein, a pointerpivotally connected to the hanger in the conduit neck and extendingtoward the indicator plate, a controlling rod fixed on the pointer andextending swingably through the conduit, and a buoyant device fixed onthe centre 2. A tank fi er and contents indicator including a conduitcomprising a flaring outlet portion and a relatively small inlet neck,the outlet portion having a proximately triangular vertical sides aording a deeply flaring and laterally narrow outlet end, the inlet neckhaving an n ward -facing portion provided with a also adownwardly-extend? ha 1- within the neck, a pivot support by e hanger,an

indicator plate secured u n the upwardgfacing portion of the ncch andcovering e llot, a pointer having a pivot ear connected to the pivot,the pointer extending upwardly in the direction toward the under side ofthe indicator plate, a controllin rod fixed to the pointer at the pivotear ereof and extending through the flaring outlet portion of theconduit to therein, and a buoyant device fixed on the controll' rod.

3. A tank filler and contents in 'cator including a. conduit having adeeply vertical flaring outlet end and a relatively small inlet neck,the inlet neck being provided with an upward-facing portion havlnga slottherein and also a hanger within the neck, a trans arent indicator platesecured to the upwa -facing portion of the inlet neck and covering theslot, a closure detachabl connected to the nconduitecizcdk,anthinhicator pointer pivota y conn to e anger and extending toward andadjacent to the indicator plate a controlling rod fixed on the inter andexten into the flaring rtlon of the conduit, an a buoyant device 'xed onthe controlling rod 4. A tank comprising a horizontal shell and a planevertlcal end, the end having a vertical slot therein, a filling conduithaving a vertically flared outlet end and a relatively small inlet neck,the flared end being secured to said vertical plane end to cover saidslot, the top of said conduit being approximately horizontal, the bottomof said conduit extending upwardly at an acute inclination from saidtank end, said inlet neck having a mouth member secured thereto whichhas a filli orifice and also an indicator base, said iase having anindicator slot therein and a hanger on the under side of the base, aclosure for said orifice, a graduated indicator plate secured to theupper face of said base and covering the indicator slot, said platebeing transparent, a pivot supported by the lower portion of saidhanger, a inter supported b said pivot and exten' upwa towar and nearlyto said plate, a controlling rod fixed to said pointer and extendingthrough the flared portion of said conduit and through said verticalslot, and a float fixedon said rod.

5. In a tank filler and contents indicator, the combination with theinlet neck of a fill conduit, of a mouth member secured in said neck andhaving a filling orifice and also an upwardly facing indicator base onone side of the orifice, said base having an indicator slot thereinadjacent to one side of the orifice and also a hanger on the under sideof the base, said hanger being hollow and extending downwardly from saidslot, p1ate,a controllin rod rigid on said pointer,

the lower portion of said hanger having a and a float secure to saidrod. 10 pivot therein, a plug screwed into said ori- In testimonwhereof, I afiix my signature fice, a transparent indicator platesecured in presence 0 two witnesses.

to the upwardly-facing portion of said base I ALBERT STANLEY.

and extending over said slot, an indicator Witnesses:

pointer connected tosaid pivot and extend- E. T. SILvIUs,

mg upwardly toward and nearly to said F. M. Roman.

